Thursday, December 23, 2010

The young sun started its red journey far away from the east. Lakshmi’s hands waved the rice powder to welcome the morning with a beautiful art. She finished it and stepped inside the house and soon brought a vessel as she saw the milkman.

“Hi Aunty!”, Anitha wore her sweet smile.She is Lakshmi's neighbor.

“Hi Ani !”, she greeted as she gave the vessel to milkman.

“The wave on your doorstep is superb aunty! It would look more beautiful if you add some colors”

“I don’t want to trouble the ants with those colored stones”

“Hmm. You are giving food to all insects but not even caring me to call for breakfast”

“You are always welcome Ani”

“Just kidding, Aunty. Where is Vidhya?”

“She has gone to Durga temple as it is her first day of college. Haven’t you joined the same college?”

“Yes Aunty! I will join with her at temple. Bye”

“Let everything go well. Have a nice day”, she told and made her walk towards the kitchen.

************

‘Jeya jeya devi durga devi saranam’ The Monday morning crowd had more middle aged women. Anitha threw her sight on each and every corner of the temple to find Vidya.

“Aniiii”, a bright girl wearing blue churidar in the middle of saries called Anitha. Her churidar has many stars in it. The boys who turned to the sound followed her each and every turn while she was walking. Their hearts were beating slowly missing some beats looking at her nice walk. Without any doubt it is Vidhya walking barefoot.

She went near Anitha and shared the flowers and kumkum from her hand.

“Look how these boys are watching you. They don’t have any good work then this.” Anitha whispered.

“Leave it. Come let us go to college” said Vidhya.

“Let us stay here for some more time and leave. Then only we can escape from seniors”

“Don’t worry my aunty is working there as Head of EEE department.”

“Fine. Let us stop at Ganesh temple and start our first day of college”

They took their walk towards Ganesh temple.

Smash.... The Coconut pieces scattered around as Rajamanickam smashed his 100th coconut in front of the Ganesh temple.

“Pillaiyaar appa. From today onwards Rakesh is going to college. You have to take care of my son in law. If he keeps studying well, I’ll break 51 coconuts on every full moon.”

He took his last coconut and got ready to smash it. Looking at him Anitha and Vidhya stopped 20 feet away from him.

“Oh god! Our college life should be nice and we have to achieve more in our life”, they prayed along and looked at pillaiyar.

Smash.... The last coconut is also presented to god. Rajamanickam moved back to his car and the girls started walking towards the college.

*****

“Raja! Wake up da kanna. Its 8’o clock”, Janaki tried to wake up his son.

Rakesh opened his eyes and saw the alarm clock. It was showing 7:55AM.

“There are 5 minutes to go”, he said and covered his face with bed sheet.

“You have to get ready. Don’t you want to go college”, Janaki pulled his bed sheet down.

“Mommy! College starts at 9:30 only. Why are you waking me so early?”, he replied without opening his eyes.

“If you go early only you could get a seat on your wish… And you can make some friends in your college”

“Boys won’t come at this time to college”, he murmured

“Then fine. Go and have some girl friends!”, she smiled

He uncovered his face and looked her mother.

“You know that I don’t like girls.”

“Don’t be like that. Don’t feel shy to speak at them.”

“I don’t feel shy”

“Then why are you being like this. What is the problem in having girlfriends?”

“Because I already have a girl friend. She is not leaving me to take my morning sleep.” Rakesh again covered his face with bed sheet.

Janaki pulled his bed sheet out of him and said “If you are not getting ready now, you won’t get your food today”

He sat on the bed. The alarm sounded loud enough to take the sleepiness out of him. He looked at the alarm. It showed 8’o clock. He stood up and made his walk to bathroom. He got ready within 15 minutes and went to dining table.

“Mom I am ready. Where is my plate?”

She brought a plate from kitchen and placed some idlies on it. She went inside the kitchen and came out with his lunch box.

“Don’t gimme these idlies for lunch. These will be hard in the afternoon.”

“Ok. Have this money with you and take your lunch at college.” She gave him 100 rupees. She took another 50 rupees and gave him for petrol.

Rakesh collected a new notebook and a pen. He went outside and placed the notebook in the front cover of his new Black pulsar which is presented by Rajamanickam. He started his bike and drove fast as he noticed Neethu aunty walking on the street. She often reminds him his father by comparing all his habits to him.

Rakesh’s father Veeraragavan was an Indian Soldier. Rakesh inherited all his bravery from his father. Janaki is a secondary school teacher who made Rakesh a bright student. When Rakesh was in 8th standard, they received a letter from Delhi confirming Veeraragavan’s death in a terrorist attack on the military camp. They felt deep sorrow. Janaki loved her husband very much. But she understood that her sorrow affects his son as he failed in all his exams. She recovered from it and gave Rakesh a great support.

She often told her son that he should become an engineer and make more money but not to leave our country.

Janaki moved near Lord Vishnu photo and prayed, “Please take care of my fatherless son. I am being his father too so that he won’t worry about his father’s death. He should be smiling all the time. Give him good friends. Make him a bright student. He should achieve more in his life and he should get everything he wishes”. A drop of tear came out of her eye. What if he wishes his father’s presence???

It is 9:30 PM IST. The remainder started to ring with a nice tone on her mobile.

‘Oh I got to go !’ She came out of the world of work and started to close all the opened programs in her PC. She was not like this before. But for some reason she wants her mind to sink in work. But human mind never do that it often floats on a matter which we want to forget.

She has almost closed all the applications but a little pop up appeared with a message ‘Severity alert received’. She looked at it and searched around to find who else is there in shift.

“Hi Vidhya!”, Neema smiled. She has joined Vidhya’s team a week before.

“Hi”, she said with a sad tone. ‘Oh god ! How could I leave a severity alert to a new joinee’.

“Hm. Who else is there in shift with you Neema?”

“I’m there”, Baskar entered as he said.

“Hey Baski. Thank god you are there. There is a severity alert in our Queue. Please take care. My cab will move in a couple of minutes”, She started to walk fast without waiting for his reply.

She noticed her cab waiting for her though it was late. She signed the route sheet and got up into the car noticing Anitha.

“The cab might have moved, If I was not there”, she told with a smile.

“Thanks Ani. I had some work”

The car moved out of TCS campus and took a right turn on Old Mahapalipuram Road.

“Then how many days have you applied for leave?”, Anitha smiled.

“Two weeks”

“Is that enough”, asked Anitha expecting Vidhya to become shy.

“Surely not enough to forget him”

“Do you mention Rakesh?”

Vidhya kept quite.

“Hey! Do you know what is going to take place after 3 days?”

‘I do. But I'm still praying to god that it should not take place.’ She turned beside and looked outside the car window.

“Come to the real world Vidhu. Why are you still thinking about that idiot who left an angel like you? He doesn’t deserve you.”

Vidhya didn’t respond to that as she already started to think about Rakesh.

‘Vidhu. This is how he calls me’ Her mind started to sink on her old days.

The cab moved on a bridge giving a nice view of the city. All the buildings and the roads were lighted.

‘Is this where I live? Isn’t it your heart?’ There were nobody to listen and answer, but still she hoped that Rakesh could hear.

‘Why did you leave me da. I can’t even think about a life without you.’
The cab moved down and stopped at a signal near Lovely day Restaurant. The place which turned their life brought her deep sorrow. She looked at the restaurant. There was a Black Pulsar-DTSI standing outside the restaurant. A smart boy came out and started the bike. He wore his helmet and started his bike. A slim girl wearing T-Shirt and jeans came near his bike. She should be studying in some college. She took his helmet off and kissed his cheek.

Vidhya guessed that they should be lovers. The girl moved to sit on the backseat. The boy stopped her and took her cheeks on his hand and faced him. They looked at each other. The cab started moving as the signal turned green.

Vidhya missed Rakesh badly. ‘Where are you da Idiot? Why am I in this car! When will you come and take me with you’.

I Gotta feeling… That’s your nights gonna be a good night… Vidhya turned as she heard the ring tone from someone’s mobile outside. She noticed Rakesh coming near her car wearing Black Cooling glass. He took his mobile and attended the call.

“Call me as many times as you want, but I can’t come now. I’m on the way to my home” Rakesh answered the call passing her car. He moved and hit his leg on the black pulsar.

“Hey”, the boy turned and shouted at him.

“Sorry, Sorry brother. I didn’t notice your bike”, he said and moved with a little struggle.

Tear drops came out of Vidhya’s eyes. She looked at him until he goes out of her sight.

“Stop here” Anitha shouted at the driver as she noticed Vidhya’s Apartment.
“Hey Vidhu! We reached your apartment. Go to your home and take a nice sleep. Forget about all your bad days. It’s over now. You have a new, happy life waiting for you”

“Bye Ani. Good night”

“See you after three days. Take care di. See you” The car moved as Ani told these to Vidhya.

Vidhya walked with dead legs. She didn’t move much. But felt hard to walk. Her thoughts made her so weak. She stopped at the lift.

5 -> 4 -> 3 -> 2 -> 1 -> The lift came from Top floor and opened. She got into the lift following a boy, a girl and some aunties. Her flat is at fourth floor. The boy and girl stood beside and started to talk through their eyes.

The boy was wearing glass and was not so fair but also not black. The girl was very fair and shorter than the boy. At second floor all the aunts left. It’s the pair and Vidhya in the lift. The Lift closed and moved up. The Boy kneeled down and said “I love you Priya” throwing his hands in the air. The girl looked at him with lot of love in her eyes. He got up and looked at her eyes. She didn’t turn back but looked at his eyes deeply making him not to make a slight move.

The lift opened at fourth floor. Vidhya ran out and got into her flat as it was opened. She entered inside her room and locked the door. She fell on her bed and started crying. She couldn't control her feelings.

‘I miss you da Raki. I miss you so much. I just want to cry on your shoulder. I just want to talk to you for hours about our sweet days. I need you now da”. She cried for some more time and got up to sit. She took her dairy which was presented by Rakesh before two years. She opened it and looked at Rakesh photo stuck on it.

She remembered his words when he gifted it to her.

“Keep it with you. Write all those when you are not able to contact me”.
She took her pen. She wasn’t used to writing dairy. But she wanted to share her feeling with the dairy.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Ram’s leisure period was over and it is the time for an NRI meeting. He insisted his driver to be there and started.

An hour passed and doctors showed their smiling faces from the stealthy operation theater as if they have crossed a sea with a raft.

“She looks like you”, the nurse lifted the baby to show to Mallika.

Mallika blushed and saw the fascinating face of her child.

Ram came back from the meeting and took the child. “Thank you. She looks pretty as like you. Neelima will surely like this angel”

Mallika closed her eyes and went a year back. She was sweeping the pavement with a broom stick. Ram was sitting on a bench and watching a small child playing pranks and crawling. His eyes turned wet. The traders rushed to the platform as the Korba express approached the station.

‘If I would ever have a child, he would be one among these hawkers’, she thought.

She turned to the direction from where she heard her mother’s yelp. She followed the sound and saw her mother lying on the track.

“She was reckless and didn’t notice the train coming until it approached her. When she noticed, she tried to move away but fell on the nearby track”, Ram explained what he saw. They took her mother to hospital.

“Your mother’s head got hurt and she lost her consciousness”, the doctor said with sad tone and introduced her with all those medical terms what a sweeper cannot understand. But she understood only one thing that her mother needs an operation which costs lakhs. She felt as if she has been left alone in a maze. Ram took her hand with care.

“Where is the baby?” the nurse asked with a terrified expression.

Mallika opened her eyes but didn’t utter anything. ‘I felt like my life was miserable once. I wanted to be a child of my mother. Now I’m a true child to my mother. But I feel miserable. I’m not a mother of my own child. Cuz I’m… a surrogate mother”